BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 3. Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov highlighted cooperation prospects within ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization) during his speech at the 28th Meeting of the ECO Council of Ministers held in Mashhad, Iran, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.
Jeyhun Bayramov, in his speech, spoke about the perspectives of Azerbaijan regarding sector-specific development of cooperation within the ECO in economy, trade, investments, energy security, environment, transport, and communications, as well as other topics.
The minister emphasized the importance of the 28th meeting, highlighting the progress made since the ECO meeting held in Shusha on October 10, 2023, and discussed further cooperation plans among member states.
He also expressed gratitude to the Islamic Republic of Iran for its chairmanship of the ECO in 2024 and for hosting the meeting. Bayramov wished success to the Republic of Kazakhstan for its upcoming chairmanship in the following year.
In addition, he stated that Azerbaijan intends to host the ECO summit next year, underlining the significance of active participation and contributions from all member countries.
Bayramov highlighted the strategic document "ECO Vision 2025," which leverages the economic potential between member states to address regional challenges and align with the sustainable development agenda.
The importance of specialized ECO structures, such as the Research Center and the Clean Energy Center, was also noted. These centers will be based in Azerbaijan, and their founding documents need to be signed and ratified to ensure their effectiveness.
Given that many ECO countries are landlocked, Bayramov stressed the importance of regional transportation and infrastructure projects like the "North-South Corridor," the "Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor East-West," the "Digital Silk Road," and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. These projects will enhance regional connectivity, including linking Iran with Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and Eastern Zangazur.
Bayramov also spoke about the significant achievements of the 29th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which was held for the first time in the ECO region. He pointed out that agreements made during the conference, such as the Baku Financial Goal, mark a critical turning point in combating climate change.
Concluding his speech, Bayramov expressed confidence that the "Agreement on Strategic Partnership in the Development and Transfer of Green Energy between the Governments of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan" signed during COP29 will play a crucial role in ensuring economic development and energy security in the region.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of the "Mashhad Communiqué".
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